What’s Behind Growing Dissent Against CM Amarinder in Punjab Cong?

Fresh dissension against Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has deepened factionalism within the party.

There’s been a lot of clamour in the past couple of days, against Captain Amarinder Singh’s controversial decision to give police jobs to sons of two sitting MLAs on “compassionate grounds”.

(Photo: The Quint)

The crisis in Congress’ Punjab unit is refusing to settle as fresh dissension against Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has deepened the factionalism in the party.

There’s been a lot of clamour in the past couple of days, against Captain Amarinder Singh’s controversial decision to give police jobs to sons of two sitting MLAs on “compassionate grounds”.

While the Chief Minister's supporters are backing the decision saying it was the right thing to do and is “in line with appointments given to similarly situated persons in the past", another faction is fast building up against him.

Five Cabinet ministers, Congress MLA Kuljit Nagra, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar as well as Punjab Youth Congress President Brinder Dhillon have all asked the government to roll back the “ill-advised move” in “greater public interest”.

But this fresh infighting in Punjab Congress also comes at an inopportune moment for CM Amarinder Singh, when he is already engaged in a bitter tussle with dissenting Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. Mincing no words, Sidhu has called the Chief Minister a liar in interviews, and even suggested that he is hand in glove with the Akalis.

With some Congress MLAs and ministers also siding with the Sidhu camp against Amarinder Singh, the Congress high command has been forced to step in to end the feud.

Ahead of the 2022 state assembly elections in Punjab, does the factionalism and dissent within the party effectively put Capt Amarinder and the Congress party in a vulnerable position? What is leading to this growing dissatisfaction against the Chief Minister from within the party and what is Sidhu's role in it? Tune in!